The present invention relates to chip plow conveyors, and more particularly to a pusher bar including bearing components adapted to support the reciprocating pusher bar in a trough filled with abrasive agglomerated metal scrap while at the same time providing a configuration giving a longer conveyor life.
Chip plow conveyors are often used to convey agglomerated metal scrap, such as metal chips, turnings, and debris laden with coolant from a machining operation. One such plow conveyor (see FIG. 1 of the present disclosure) includes a reciprocating pusher bar that moves longitudinally in a trough. The pusher bar is sized and configured to float within the trough, so that if scrap material wedges between the pusher bar and a side of the trough, the pusher bar will move laterally and not jam the conveyor. However, a problem results due to the abrasive nature of the agglomerated metal scrap and the abrasive particles that collect in a bottom of the trough. As the pusher bar is reciprocated, the bearing component that slidably engages a bottom of the trough is slowly ground away. This results in a corner of the bearing component becoming sharper and sharper. As a result, when scrap material wedges against the bearing component and forces the pusher bar into a side of the trough, a large portion of the force is focused at the sharp corner of the bearing component. This results in a chisel-like action, where the sharp corner(s) of the bearing component(s) scrapes and chisels away at the bottom corners of the trough with increasing severity until a crevice, crack, slit or hole is formed in a lower corner of the trough. When the hole is formed, liquid coolant and other wet material leaks from the trough, causing a mess and a maintenance nightmare. Often the problem of a hole will go undiagnosed because the area around a chip conveyor can be messy to begin with and difficult to see, thus adding to the problem of cleanup. Notably, it is believed that due to the proximity of the sharp corner to a bottom of the trough, the agglomerated scrap does not strike the sharp corners head on, and as a result, does not abrade or dull the sharp corners as someone unfamiliar with this problem might expect.
Hardened wear liners are sometimes positioned in a bottom of the trough to improve a life of the trough. However, the scrap material coming from a machining or forming operation is often very hard, such that it is undesirably expensive to purchase a liner that is hard enough to withstand the abrasive environment. Further, even very hard materials will wear undesirably quickly when stress is focused sharply by a chisel-like point. Thus, wear liners do not solve this problem.
It is noted that this problem has existed for many years in the industry, and yet no one has conceived of making beveled bearing surfaces on the corners as presently proposed.
Accordingly, an apparatus is desired solving the aforementioned problems and having the aforementioned advantages.
In one aspect of the present invention, a plow conveyor adapted to convey abrasive scrap, such as metal chips and shavings from a machining operation, includes an elongated trough having a flat bottom and sides, and a chip-motivating pusher bar in the trough. The pusher bar is adapted to reciprocate longitudinally and float laterally as the pusher bar reciprocates to move chips along the trough. The pusher bar includes a bearing component having a bottom surface that slidably engages the flat bottom for longitudinal and lateral movement side surfaces extending up from the bottom surface, and an end surface forming corners with the bottom surface and the side surfaces. The corners each include a beveled bearing surface extending at an oblique longitudinal angle to each of the bottom surface and the side surfaces and the end surface to provide angled engagement with the flat bottom and the sides of the trough. By this arrangement, the corners cannot be sharpened to a chisel-simulating edge even after substantial wear. Therefore, wear on the sides of the trough is substantially reduced.
In another aspect of the present invention, a plow conveyor adapted to convey abrasive scrap includes an elongated trough having a flat bottom and sides. A chip-motivating pusher bar is positioned in the trough and is adapted to reciprocate longitudinally and float laterally as the pusher bar reciprocates to move chips along the trough. Lateral floating of the pusher bar helps to overcome binding caused by scrap material wedging between the pusher bar and one of the sides. However, wedging still causes the pusher bar to engage the sides with substantial force. The pusher bar includes a bearing component that slidably engages the flat bottom for longitudinal and lateral movement. The bearing component has opposing front corners forming inclined ramps on a leading end of the pusher bar. The inclined ramps provide angled engagement with the sides and characteristically providing a longitudinally-angled corner surface arrangement that cannot be sharpened into a chisel-simulating edge even after substantial wear against the flat bottom and the sides of the trough.
These and other aspects, objects, and features of the present invention will be understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art upon studying the following specification, claims, and appended drawings.